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During the first week of February, Congressional Republicans gathered for their annual retreat at the Greenbrier, a five-star luxury resort in White Sulphur Spring, West Virginia, with both President...

During the first week of February, Congressional Republicans gathered for their annual retreat at the Greenbrier, a five-star luxury resort in White Sulphur Spring, West Virginia, with both President Trump and Vice President Pence, to plan their agenda for the year. They were met by over 500 activists kicking off a month of direct action. Many of the community leaders receive public assistance and Medicaid and traveled from nearly a dozen states to send a message that any proposed cuts will be met with a fierce fight. Medicaid, the nation’s public health insurance program for low-income children, adults, seniors, and people with disabilities, covers 1 in 5 Americans, including many with complex and costly needs for medical care and long-term services. Over 80 million people in our country get their health insurance from Medicaid.

From March 12-18, CPD affiliates across the country will keep up the momentum and engage in a week of action to fight new requirements being imposed on Medicaid, particularly those requiring recipients to pass a drug test and/or show evidence of employment.

From New Hampshire to Arkansas, CPD affiliates will take action to show how these new requirements would hurt low-income communities and exacerbate the opioid crisis. Affiliates involved include Hoosier Action, Delaware Alliance for Community Advancement, VOCAL-NY, Maryland Communities United, West Virginia Health Kids and Families, Rights & Democracy NH and VT, and Ohio Organizing Collaborative.

Our affiliates and communities coming together to fight back on this issue illustrates a real policy agenda that will help low-income communities facing the opioid epidemic thrive. For example, the Ohio Organizing Collaborative is canvassing for a groundbreaking ballot initiative that would turn drug-related felonies in to misdemeanors, allowing people who had been caught up in the war on drugs to get their lives on track. Other affiliates are holding town hall events to listen to the voices of their members who are impacted by this issue.

Our message continues to be clear: Congress needs to protect the essential benefits American families count on each day to survive. If you’re interested in joining this fight, please email cpd@populardemocracy.org.

Six months ago Trump ended the DACA program. This decision left hundreds of thousands of young immigrants, who grew up in this country, uncertain about their future. With Trump’s March 5thdeadline...

Six months ago Trump ended the DACA program. This decision left hundreds of thousands of young immigrants, who grew up in this country, uncertain about their future. With Trump’s March 5thdeadline fast approaching, Congress has taken no action. And Trump is demanding a white nationalist wish list in exchange for legislative protections for Dreamers – effectively torpedoing all bipartisan proposals. That is why we’re heading back to Washington, DC on March 5 to demand Trump and Congress resolve this crisis. Will you join us on March 5?

Dreamers and their allies have countered hatred and intimidation with a vision of justice and dignity for all immigrant communities. For the past six months, CPD affiliates have been on the forefront of the fight to pass a clean DREAM Act – they have organized dozens of protests, held countless meetings with elected officials, elevated powerful personal stories from Dreamers, and filed lawsuits that led to a temporary court injunction blocking Trump’s decision to end DACA.

After an open debate in mid-February, the Senate was unable to advance any bipartisan proposals. Now conservatives in the House want to use Dreamers as political pawns to advance Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda – the Goodlatte bill would make enormous cuts to family-based migration, attack cities that act to protect immigrants, and fund a deportation machine that tears families apart.

On March 5 (pending a temporary injunction by the courts), hundreds of young immigrants could start losing their DACA status every day – leaving them without work authorization and vulnerable to deportation. CPD is joining forces with a broad coalition to organize another day of action on March 5. Please join us to tell Trump and Congress to resolve this crisis! You can join us in Washington, DC or take action in your own city or state. And please call your Congressional representatives to demand a legislative solution for Dreamers without criminalizing our communities or tearing our families apart.

Nearly four months after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, incredible numbers of people are still without power, major segments of the population have no access to clean running water, roads...

Nearly four months after Hurricane Maria devastated Puerto Rico, incredible numbers of people are still without power, major segments of the population have no access to clean running water, roads are destroyed, and impacted people continue to die. The most vulnerable communities, as always, have been ravaged the worst.

Yet in the midst of this darkness, there has been light. Thanks to major online giving, significant foundation donors, support from celebrities, and dozens of locally organized fundraising events throughout the country, the Maria Fund -- a hurricane relief and rebuilding fund for Puerto Rico housed at CPD -- has raised nearly $4.8 million since Hurricane Maria made landfall of September 20, 2017. Already supporting an impressive 33 grassroots, community-based initiatives focused on vital relief and rebuilding work throughout Puerto Rico, the fund has supported vital community organizing, provided food, cleared roads, connected residents to essential services, and more.

The Maria Fund is deeply committed to supporting community organizing work that will build an equitable Puerto Rico over the long-term. As in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, in the months and years after climate disasters like Maria, vulnerable communities are largely left out of rebuilding initiatives. Too often, the destruction is used by developers and corporations as an opportunity to turn a profit, privatize public services, and displace communities. Support for community organizing in this context is critical to support a Puerto Rican future of equity and sustainability rather than displacement and deepened inequality.

Guided by a committee made up entirely of Puerto Rican leaders, focused on transforming the root causes of the crisis, and committed to the development of a new sustainable and equitable Puerto Rico, the Maria Fund will continue to drive vital support to frontline social change initiatives and transformative change projects in Puerto Rico over the coming months. Please donate today!

Last year presented tremendous challenges and struggles for racial justice. State-sponsored attacks on immigrant and Muslim communities coupled with brazen endorsements of white supremacy across...

Last year presented tremendous challenges and struggles for racial justice. State-sponsored attacks on immigrant and Muslim communities coupled with brazen endorsements of white supremacy across the country left leaders needing a space to regroup and strategize about how electeds are leading in a powerful way. Local Progress, a national network of progressive elected officials, and the CPD Racial Justice team organized a strong group of elected and community leaders, with 60 Local Progress members and executive directors of Black-led community organizations across the CPD Network coming together last month in Baltimore, MD for a conversation on racial equity.

This group dug into Local Progress’ police reform work - discussing everything from asset forfeiture and use of force, to officer training and bans on profiling. We also spent time thinking more broadly about what safety means in communities, learning about CPD’s Freedom to Thrive framework and the ways in which budgeting processes can bring about equity in our communities. Ultimately, leaders grappled with how to shift the narrative on what public safety is and what communities really need to succeed.

This convening allowed elected officials and community leaders across the country to share resources and learn from each other. In two days, leaders built strong connections and community to sustain the work on racial justice and equity in the long term. People left the convening, a space full of collaborative spirit and shared learning, energized and ready to go back to their communities to carry the work forward. You can see photos from the convening on Facebook!

CPD partners, including the Make the Road family, New York Communities for Change, and Organize Florida, have joined the national #Power4PuertoRicocampaign to advocate for a just recovery for...

CPD partners, including the Make the Road family, New York Communities for Change, and Organize Florida, have joined the national #Power4PuertoRicocampaign to advocate for a just recovery for Puerto Rico, putting the lives of Puerto Ricans before corporations and millionaires who stand to profit from the islands humanitarian crisis.

Last December, our partners made thousands of calls to members of Congress, asking them to stop the tax bill that will take 200,000 jobs from an already crippled Puerto Rican economy. On December 20th, the CPD Network joined ten cities, including Bridgeport, CT, Elizabeth, NJ, Reading, PA, Orlando, FL New York City, Los Angeles, Oakland, Boston, Seattle and even as far as London, for an International Day of Action targeting TPG, a multi-billion dollar corporation that, through its Puerto Rican affiliate, has been aggressively foreclosing on houses in Puerto Rico even after the devastating Hurricane Maria. The action led to TPG putting a moratorium on most of its foreclosures in Puerto Rico, and sparked an ongoing conversation about how the company can support families after the moratorium ends.

Of course, the fight continues as the road ahead to equitably rebuild Puerto Rico will be long. On January 22, CPD partners will hit the streets for a Back-to-School Week of Action. Our message is clear: private education institutions in the United States need to be held accountable for their bad investments that are now destroying public education on the island.

Until we get justice for Puerto Rico, there will be many more opportunities to participate in the local and national mobilizations throughout the course of the campaign. If you’d like to get connected to a local campaign, participate in our national mobilizations and/or get training on how you can lead your own actions, please email our team.

As the CPD Network continues to take a leading role in the national resistance movement, we partnered with a strong cohort of progressive organizations and artists for a nine-day celebration of...

As the CPD Network continues to take a leading role in the national resistance movement, we partnered with a strong cohort of progressive organizations and artists for a nine-day celebration of community power and cultural resistance in Downtown Los Angeles. From January 13-21, INTO ACTION brought together hundreds of our nation’s most prolific and talented visual artists, young activists, musicians, poets, policymakers and community leaders to face the pain and beauty of the past year, while we plan and organize for the year to come.

CPD’s Racial Justice and Public Affairs teams played an integral role in bringing this event to life. CPD and our partners, including ACCE Action, Initiate Justice, BYP100 Bay Area, and Mobilize The Immigrant Vote produced panel discussions, provided a civil disobedience training, and sponsored the opening night’s headliner with CPD favorite, Sarah Jones. As Sarah performed for a packed house, her calls to defend DACA, fight gentrification, protect our environment and get involved with local politics echoed throughout the space.

On MLK Day, we curated a discussion on the Beauty of Civil Disobedience, followed by a practical training on bird dogging elected officials. This training helped to connect the dots in the local fight against a $3.1 Million LA Jail Expansion that INTO ACTION partner, Justice LA is leading. CPD also organized a panel on the State of Hate: A Discussion on Dismantling White Supremacy that focused on the 118-mile march from Charlottesville, VA to Washington, DC last year. Looking forward, we discussed how to address white supremacy in 2018 through policy changes and elections. Check out the livestream of this riveting panel discussion here!

American democracy is at a crossroads. To deliver on the promise of a representative, inclusive democracy, our electoral system must provide every American the opportunity to meaningfully participate...

American democracy is at a crossroads. To deliver on the promise of a representative, inclusive democracy, our electoral system must provide every American the opportunity to meaningfully participate and make their voice heard.

On January 4, CPD released Deepening Our Democracy: How Localities Can Expand Voting Rights. The report suggests some of the strongest measures localities can take to expand voter registration to eligible people in their communities. Since the 2016 election, there has been an acceleration of proposed state voter restrictions including new voter ID laws, restrictions on early voting, and attempts to purge voter registration rolls. In the face of attacks at the state and federal level, protecting and strengthening our democracy and voter participation must be a local imperative. This report was featured on Mic. CPD also hosted a Facebook livestream discussion of the report with CPD Director of Voting Rights & Democracy, Emma Greenman, and Research Analyst, Kate Hamaji. Read the full report on our website.

Re-pledge yourself to the resistance in 2018! From January 31 to February 2, President Trump will meet with Republican members of Congress for a legislative retreat at the Greenbrier resort in West...

Re-pledge yourself to the resistance in 2018! From January 31 to February 2, President Trump will meet with Republican members of Congress for a legislative retreat at the Greenbrier resort in West Virginia. CPD and our allies are bringing together thousands of people from across the country to gather outside the Greenbrier and voice our opposition to Trump’s agenda for the coming year. Please join us to march, chant, sing, and meet fellow passionate voices of resistance.

Need a ride and a place to crash? Our sister organization, CPD Action, is sponsoring buses to West Virginia from several cities, including NYC, Westchester, NY, Washington, DC, Pittsburgh, PA, Washington, PA, Little Rock, AR, and Wilmington DE. Find a bus near you and sign-up here!

Can’t make it? Help us spread the word online by marking yourself as interested on our Facebook event and invite your friends to join us in resistance!

On Tuesday this week, the U.S. Senate voted to pass a continuing resolution that funds the federal government for another three weeks without a commitment on the Dream Act. Far too many Senators...

On Tuesday this week, the U.S. Senate voted to pass a continuing resolution that funds the federal government for another three weeks without a commitment on the Dream Act. Far too many Senators who had vowed to stand up for DREAMers, voted for an agreement that further cut taxes and failed to protect immigrant youth whose lives were put at risk by Trump’s decision to end DACA. With their votes, these senators sent a dangerous message to our communities: that they fail to stand up for our values, even when the majority of the country agrees with us, rejecting the white nationalist agenda of this Administration.

Now is not the time the compromise. Now is the time to stand firm on our principles and stand up for our communities. And our power is growing by the day - just this weekend, hundreds of thousands marched across the country in a show of progressive strength. Over the next few weeks we will redouble our efforts to win for Dreamers, starting with a rally held yesterday on Capitol Hill. Hundreds of allies joined United We Dream, FIRM, Center for Popular Democracy Action, and several community groups in the streets of Washington, DC in response to this shameful decision. The rally was covered by the Washington Post, NBC News, Mic, and Associated Press.

Our families cannot wait. Every single day that passes, 122 young people lose DACA. We will not rest, we will not sleep, and we will not give up until all of our communities are safe. Please donate to help us in the fight to keep Dreamers safe and at home.

This has been a terrifying year—a year in which our communities and our values have been under bitter and sustained attack. With the first year of the Trump administration not yet over, already we...

This has been a terrifying year—a year in which our communities and our values have been under bitter and sustained attack. With the first year of the Trump administration not yet over, already we have witnessed an attempted ban on Muslims entering the country, a prolonged campaign to remove healthcare from millions, the repeal of DACA, the gutting of vital federal agencies such as the EPA, support for white supremacists, and now, as we write, a federal tax bill aimed at giving the richest 1% the largest cash handout in recent memory.

This year has proven that disdain for our values and hatred towards our communities, espoused by Trump and his acolytes, runs far deeper than many thought possible. We also understand more clearly that repressive forces see a huge opportunity over the coming three years to dramatically change the course of history, to fundamentally roll back decades of progressive reform, and to lead this country to an entirely different place—a truly terrifying place for communities of color, immigrants, and working-class communities.

We simply cannot, and will not, let this happen.

Yet despite these discouraging events, much about this year has been immensely inspiring and heartening. Time and time again, we have witnessed communities standing up for each other to resist and work together to build a society around our shared values. Black, brown, white, immigrant, middle class and working class, united by a common cause: to build a society based on love, respect, and mutual cooperation.

Just this Wednesday, nearly 300 protesters trained by CPD, were arrested for civil disobedience after standing up to members of Congress who voted yes on the GOP tax package. The bill will steer billions away from working families and into the pockets of the richest Americans, while ripping away healthcare from 13 million people over the next decade.

In May, over 2,000 activists from ten states joined CPD and partners at the Texas State House in response to local anti-immigration policies. This huge public display of opposition was cited by the Texas court as a significant factor in its decision to block these policies at that time.

In July, after six months of protest and actions that saw tens of thousands travel to Washington DC in wave upon wave of action, the bill to remove health care from millions was finally defeated in a vote of 49–51. CPD and our partners were on the front lines of this massive campaign.

After the shocking events in Charlottesville, VA in August, we organized rallies and vigils across the nation to confront white supremacy, honor those whose lives were lost, and send a clear message to the nation and beyond - this is not our America.

Also this year, Oregon and New York City passed fair scheduling legislation, marking the first state-level victory and largest city-level action on this cutting-edge policy. Many thousands of people from our partners and allies have worked tirelessly over recent years to achieve these historic gains for working families.

And so we saw again this year that when we come together, and when we organize well, we can win.

As we look ahead to the coming year, we know we are just getting started. This year’s hard and bitter fight will, without doubt, become more intense next year. We will need to be stronger and better organized than ever before to build a society based on our values.

We cannot do this without your help.

Please join us in building the strong, national movement for change we need now more than ever and donate to the Center for Popular Democracy this giving season.

CPD Impact

Nov 2016: During 2016, the Federal Reserve made an historic shift in how it makes the most important economic decisions in the country. For the first time they are taking into account low-income communities of color. For the past 100 years the Fed has been dominated by white, male, corporate executives who have cared little about building an economy that works for everyone.